Butter smuggling in Nordic countries

[BalthasarR]

http://www.thelocal.se/38022/20111219/

This is pretty funny phenomenon. We get news like this almost every day. The demand of butter has increased rapidly lately and the dairy industry is struggling to respond this demand. Situation in Norway seems to be the worst. Here in Finland stores constantly run out of butter but you can still get it by making a little effort. It costs around 7€/kg in here. Quite a difference to Norway's price levels.

 

[Tom Krein]

Pretty crazy... but totally understandable! Who doesn't LOVE BUTTER!!

Norway's getting hit pretty hard from what I saw.

Tom

 

[ouch]

Butter smuggling in Nordic countries

That's what you wacky kids are calling it these days?

 

[Mr5x5]

The blonde and bland food exists as a means for carrying butter into the belly without having to eat it directly. Except for lutefisk. That separates the sane from the insane.

 

[aceinyerface]

http://www.thelocal.se/38022/20111219/

This is pretty funny phenomenon. We get news like this almost every day. The demand of butter has increased rapidly lately and the dairy industry is struggling to respond this demand. Situation in Norway seems to be the worst. Here in Finland stores constantly run out of butter but you can still get it by making a little effort. It costs around 7€/kg in here. Quite a difference to Norway's price levels.

It's that damned Paula Deen, I tell you!!

 

[Argonaut]

I suppose if you were going to smuggle something, it may as well be butter. At least if the balloon breaks you won't die of an overdose, you might gain a little weight or elevate your cholesterol some. Probably would have to replace some undergarments in a worst case scenario.

 

[rajagra]

Oh, how they laughed at the EU butter mountains back in the 80s. Who's laughing now? Not the Norwegians, that's for sure!
Our economies may be shot, but we'll never go short of cholesterol. I predict that when the Euro collapses, we'll start using butter as currency, like they used cigarettes during WWII.

 

[smalltank]

Yea..I think Paula Dean is to blame ;-)

Never heard of butter smuggling here in the states..must be REAL good stuff!!

 

[The Pontificator]

When butter is outlawed only outlaws will have butter.

 

[honed]

http://www.tradera.com/smor-osaltat-saltat-auktion_1607_145463598

About 500% of the normal price in Sweden.
Swedish auction site. The ad offer shipping it frozen so it remains good when it arrives

 

[mboschm]

I don't think I'm getting it. Butter is (or ought to be) a "basic food item", with a pretty stable demand and supply. How has this happened?

 

[BalthasarR]

I don't think I'm getting it. Butter is (or ought to be) a "basic food item", with a pretty stable demand and supply. How has this happened?

Well, in Nordic countries most of us use to use vegetable oils and margarines (well I didn't) etc. Butter was considered unhealthy and was only used rarely in most families. Now on the effect of the recent studies of butter not beeing the evil man-killer, low carb diets and the trend that people want real flavors the demand skyrocketed. There is not enough milk anymore for cream and butter. To top it all, christmas is the time of the year butter consumption is the highest because of bakings, which doesn't help the situation.

Happily I have 500g of the yellow gold in my refrigerator! That'll last for while.

 

[mboschm]

I see. Thanks.

 

[tattewell]

So on my bike trip through norway this summer I should bring butter for currency?

 

[BalthasarR]

So on my bike trip through norway this summer I should bring butter for currency?

Better bring a dairy cow. Butter spoils quickly in summer heat. It can also be used to transportation so you don't need a bike.

 

[ouch]

Isn't summer heat something like zero in your neck of the woods?

 

[BalthasarR]

Isn't summer heat something like zero in your neck of the woods?

It can get quite intense

 

[honed]

Isn't summer heat something like zero in your neck of the woods?

When the snow is melting you know it's time to put on the t-shirts

 

[Edcculus]

Ha, thats pretty insane. We had the crazy vegetable oil/margarine thing here in the states for a while too. Luckily, they know better than to use that stuff in the South. There are a handfull of farms within driving distance of my house where I can buy fresh butter.